Qubit Pharmaceuticals, a company specialising in drug discovery through molecular simulation, has achieved a significant breakthrough in quantum computing. The company’s new Hyperion-1 emulator has successfully simulated 40 qubits, a feat confirmed by Jean-Philip Piquemal, Professor at Sorbonne University and Director of the Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory. This achievement places Qubit Pharmaceuticals among the world’s leading quantum computing companies. The Hyperion-1 emulator was developed in partnership with Sorbonne University’s Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory and the calculations were carried out on GENCI’s Jean Zay supercomputer. The company’s ultimate goal is to halve the time needed to select and optimise a drug candidate.
Quantum Computing Breakthrough in Drug Discovery
Qubit Pharmaceuticals has achieved quantum computations simulating 40 qubits with its new Hyperion-1 emulator. This is an exact simulation of 40 logic qubits carried out at a high speed, a significant achievement in applying quantum computation, particularly in quantum chemistry.
The performance was achieved without approximation and with the highest level of fidelity, meaning without error or “noise”, and in a very short time. This was achieved in partnership with Sorbonne University’s Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, and the calculations were carried out in just a few hours on a supercomputer hosted and operated by IDRIS computing centre.
The Ultimate Objective: Faster Drug Discovery
This achievement supports Qubit Pharmaceuticals’ goal to become a reference in molecular modelling-based drug discovery. The company models molecules and simulates their interactions to identify more effective and safer drug candidates. The aim is to halve the time needed to select and optimise a candidate of interest, and significantly reduce the investment required. This process requires immense computing capacities, available today with supercomputers and expected to be multiplied with quantum computers.
Key Benefits of Hyperion-1
Hyperion-1, the new emulator from Qubit Pharmaceuticals, is capable of achieving 40 qubit (and more) converged simulations in production without error or noise, setting new standards of precision in quantum research. It offers exceptional precision and massively parallel processing capability capable of concentrating classical computing power. It has demonstrated outstanding performance in high-speed simulations of complex quantum circuits of up to 40 qubits, using moderate computing resources.
Advanced Technology in Quantum Computing
Hyperion-1 features optimised internal code based on a mathematical library that is proprietary and agnostic, meaning it can use any type of supercomputer. It uses parallel acceleration via MPI and takes full advantage of the new generation of NVIDIA DGX-A100 accelerated nodes for enhanced performance. This advanced technology opens up new perspectives on the technology of tomorrow.
The Future of Quantum Emulation
In the ever-evolving landscape of quantum computing, a critical gap persists between machines with a limited number of perfect qubits and those with a large number of qubits but laden with error. Hyperion-1, with the speed and accuracy of its calculations, is a testament to the immense possibilities that lie ahead. Its capabilities demonstrate what will be possible in the wider landscape of quantum emulation and quantum computing. Qubit Pharmaceuticals sees Hyperion-1’s potential, not only as a proprietary tool, but also as a symbol of perfect emulation, fostering a new era of technological innovation with implications for sectors such as pharmaceuticals, finance, encryption, and many others.
“This is an exact simulation of 40 logic qubits carried out at very high velocity, which is an unprecedented achievement in the application of quantum computation, in particular to quantum chemistry,” – Jean-Philip Piquemal, Professor at Sorbonne University and Director of the Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory (Sorbonne University/CNRS), co-founder and Scientific Director of Qubit Pharmaceuticals, and head of the team that developed Hyperion-1.
Robert Marino, PDG de Qubit Pharmaceuticals, states: “These quantum chemistry calculations on 40 exact qubits far exceed the performance achieved to date in Europe, and place Qubit Pharmaceuticals on the same footing as some of the top American tech giants. This breakthrough enables us to carry out in a few hours calculations that traditionally take several months.”
Jean-Philip Piquemal, Professor at Sorbonne University and Director of the Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory (Sorbonne University/CNRS), co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Qubit Pharmaceuticals, states: “Hyperion-1 allows quantum state simulation while benefiting from the stability of classical computers, thus avoiding the errors inherent in today’s quantum computers. Thanks to the GPUs in our machines and GENCI’s infrastructure, we are able to develop and validate new quantum algorithms applied to drug discovery – a field of research with real public utility.”
Élisabeth Angel-Perez, Vice President of Research and Innovation at Sorbonne University: “Sorbonne University is a community of talent, and it’s also a commitment: a commitment to supporting innovation stemming from French research. And it’s because we’ve given ourselves the necessary resources to develop an ecosystem for the transfer of expertise and innovation that we’ve been able to accompany and support genuine nuggets such as Qubit Pharmaceuticals. Science must be at the service of society and its well-being. That’s the dynamic we’re supporting alongside the researchers who make Sorbonne University so rich.”
Summary
Qubit Pharmaceuticals has achieved a significant scientific breakthrough by simulating 40 qubits using its new Hyperion-1 emulator, a feat that could revolutionise drug discovery by significantly reducing the time and cost required to identify effective and safe drug candidates. The Hyperion-1 emulator, developed in partnership with Sorbonne University’s Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, offers exceptional precision and massively parallel processing capability, demonstrating the potential of quantum computing in various sectors including pharmaceuticals, finance, and encryption.
- Qubit Pharmaceuticals, a company specialising in drug discovery through molecular simulation and modelling, has achieved a significant scientific breakthrough with its new Hyperion-1 emulator.
- The company, in partnership with Sorbonne University’s Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, has successfully carried out quantum computations simulating 40 qubits at high speed, a first in the field of quantum computation.
- The computations were performed on GENCI’s Jean Zay HPC/IA converged supercomputer, hosted and operated by IDRIS computing center (CNRS).
- The achievement strengthens Qubit Pharmaceuticals’ ambition to become a leader in molecular modelling-based drug discovery.
- The company’s goal is to halve the time needed to select and optimise a drug candidate and significantly reduce the investment required.
- The Hyperion-1 emulator is capable of achieving 40 qubit simulations without error or noise, setting new standards of precision in quantum research.
- The emulator also offers exceptional precision and massively parallel processing capability, demonstrating outstanding performance in high-speed simulations of complex quantum circuits.
- Jean-Philip Piquemal, Professor at Sorbonne University and Director of the Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, and Robert Marino, CEO of Qubit Pharmaceuticals, have both expressed their excitement about the breakthrough and its potential impact on drug discovery.
